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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to click
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — a country
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. land — to come down
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — low music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — humankind
  24. lie — to recline

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