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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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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — humankind
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. race — a contest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. date — the fruit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rash — hasty

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