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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — for catching
  4. staff — a stick
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. can — a tin

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