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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — to confront
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — temperature
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rash — a series
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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