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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — there
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — help
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. face — to point toward
  16. roll — a cake
  17. present — a gift
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — humankind
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. roll — a list
  24. dip — a sauce

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