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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 120 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 · lie · tube · saw · bowl · snap · ball · fine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — a contest
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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