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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a great time
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pop — to visit
  7. file — a document
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. nail — on a finger

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