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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a document
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — to recline
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ball — a dance
  22. race — the arms race
  23. track — a path
  24. pitcher — a jug

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