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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cell — a phone
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bass — low music
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — to recline
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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