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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. race — humankind
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to confront
  23. race — a contest
  24. season — in sport

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