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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. race — humankind
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — child
  12. bat — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. club — a group
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — electricity
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. club — for dancing
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — the fish

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