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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · lie · race · ball · mug · fall · foot · saw

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — humankind
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. foot — a measure
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com