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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. file — a line of people
  18. race — humankind
  19. bass — low music
  20. current — electric
  21. file — a document
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — a trail

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