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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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Word bank
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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — a price
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — the arms race
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. race — humankind
  24. present — the time now

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