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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. face — part of the head
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. land — a country
  7. roll — a cake
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — a contest
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  24. roll — a list

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