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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
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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: straw · lie · degree · race · bass · key · dip · current

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. race — humankind
  14. lie — to recline
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bass — low music
  19. current — of water
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. key — for a lock
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — in music
  24. dip — to dunk

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