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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — from crying
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — a contest
  18. firm — a company
  19. race — humankind
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to confront
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — the cause
  24. tear — from crying

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