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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — to point toward
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. race — the arms race
  20. club — a group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. race — a contest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — to confront

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