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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — the sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mug — a face

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