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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. shower — to wash
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. shower — rain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to confront
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — a division
  24. date — the fruit

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