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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to point toward
  5. march — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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