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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — humankind
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — a break
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — to push
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — part of the head
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — a company
  19. chip — to eat
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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