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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. face — to point toward
  3. shower — rain
  4. race — humankind
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — to confront
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — a city
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. capital — money

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