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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. race — a contest
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rash — a series
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — humankind
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ground — a position
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — to succeed
  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