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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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