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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 116 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: ball · bank · hand · nail · race · calf · dip · lie

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. nail — for a hammer

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