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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. net — in sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. face — part of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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