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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — electric
  4. deal — to handle
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — a division
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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