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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — a trace
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — the tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — army training
  12. race — humankind
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. face — to confront
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — a position
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wind — moving air

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