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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. race — humankind
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. race — a contest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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