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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — to come down
  13. race — a contest
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — humankind
  16. date — the fruit
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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