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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — high quality
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fine — all right
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. race — humankind
  12. tube — a container
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — an illness
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — clever

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