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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bass — the instrument

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