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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. face — to confront
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — to point toward
  16. perch — the fish
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — to lash out

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