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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. race — humankind
  12. net — in sport
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. race — a contest
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — the arms race
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. net — after costs
  24. face — part of the head

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