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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. dip — to sink
  4. race — a contest
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mine — for digging
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. face — to confront
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. face — part of the head
  24. squash — the 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