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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: lie · ball · bark · date · nail · race · pit · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — a hole
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — to shout

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