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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — humankind
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — to recline
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. craft — boats
  23. race — the arms race
  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