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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. race — humankind
  9. field — a subject
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — a position
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. field — for sport

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