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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. race — humankind
  3. face — part of the head
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. object — to protest
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to point toward
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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