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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rule — government
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — to protest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — low music
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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