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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. file — a tool
  3. last — finally
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. face — to confront
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a document
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — to point toward
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mouse — the 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