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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. face — to confront
  6. rest — a break
  7. tube — the underground
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — a line
  11. firm — a company
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — humankind
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — a container
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. row — to paddle

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