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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — humankind
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — part of the head

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