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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: race · charge · lie · spell · bowl · net · fan · nail

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — after costs
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — for catching
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — in sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lie — to recline

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