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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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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: face · bass · bound · dip · pass · race · snap · fork

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. face — part of the head
  9. snap — to click
  10. pass — a permit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — to eat with

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