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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — the arms race
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. field — farmland
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bowl — a football final

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