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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — in control
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — humankind
  14. face — part of the head
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a document
  23. rash — a series
  24. calf — a young animal

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