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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: stick · race · mine · lie · bass · wind · mug · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — the fish
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mug — a face
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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