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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bound — tied together
  3. club — a group
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — part of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rash — a series
  21. club — for golf
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — obliged
  24. race — a contest

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