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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — low music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — humankind

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