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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — low music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — a skill

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