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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — in cards
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — a container
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. race — the arms race
  24. tube — in a tire

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