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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — a price
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mug — a face
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — in control

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