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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: pass · cold · date · race · lie · bay · clip · rush

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. race — humankind
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. race — the arms race
  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