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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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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 · bass · rush · temple · net · fall · fine · race

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — all right
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — hurry
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — low music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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