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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — to get on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. race — the arms race
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a song
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — a path

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