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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. race — humankind
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to confront
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — shares
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. race — a contest

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