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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. face — to confront
  4. firm — steady
  5. ball — a great time
  6. file — a tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. file — a document
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — hurry
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — decided
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fan — to cool the air

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