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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mate — a friend
  14. race — a contest
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — a subject
  17. face — to point toward
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — humankind
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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