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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · hide · date · hand · mate · race · racket · mark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. race — humankind
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a partner
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mark — a trace
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — a friend

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