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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. race — the arms race
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — in a road

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