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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — a tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — of water
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — for pool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — low music
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cue — a signal
  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