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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. land — a country
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — part of the head
  10. object — to protest
  11. fine — all right
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. object — a thing
  14. toast — bread
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. object — an aim
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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