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

Word bank: swing · race · net · lie · racket · bay · face · pass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to confront
  9. race — humankind
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — after costs
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — for catching
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. face — part of the head
  24. swing — music

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