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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: race · fan · dip · pound · wake · lie · saw · rash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — a trail

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