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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — for golf
  3. hand — in cards
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — a group
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — help
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — a container
  17. object — to protest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — an aim
  24. lie — an untruth

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