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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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