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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. band — a music group
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — a list
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. firm — a company
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — a container
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — the underground
  18. race — the arms race
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — steady
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. face — to confront
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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