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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — a line
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — a price
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bat — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — for tennis

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