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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — of the year
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — to confront
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. dip — to sink
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a match
  22. race — humankind
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — a weight

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