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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. face — part of the head
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — of a river
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — to be able to

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