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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — completely
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — a stone
  24. face — part of the head

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