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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — low music
  11. race — a contest
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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