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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · race · patient · ground · pop · hide · chip · lie

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — a contest
  8. ground — crushed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. patient — a sick person

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