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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — in sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. last — final
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — humankind
  18. net — after costs
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — to fit
  24. face — part of the head

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