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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 124 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — the arms race
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — a contest

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