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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to confront
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. last — finally
  9. race — the arms race
  10. last — final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — humankind
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — of a word

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