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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. ball — a great time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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