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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. race — humankind
  3. mug — a face
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — to rob
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — a contest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. face — to point toward

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