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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: pitcher · craft · race · lie · sharp · racket · band · file

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. race — humankind
  9. craft — a skill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a line of people
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. race — the arms race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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