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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — the month
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. last — finally
  12. pound — a weight
  13. last — to go on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — final
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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