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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · date · game · cap · bay · bass · object · lie

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — low music
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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