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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — to keep track
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — steady
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. track — a path
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — to point toward
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — to cool the 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