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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. race — a contest
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chest — a box
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fork — in a road
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to confront

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