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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — to breed
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ground — a position
  16. craft — boats
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ground — crushed
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — a young animal

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