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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — to sink
  3. race — a contest
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. race — humankind
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. race — the arms race
  24. face — to confront

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