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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. race — the arms race
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. race — humankind
  7. band — a ring
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — a break
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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