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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — humankind
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. track — a song
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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