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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — there
  11. craft — boats
  12. present — the time now
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bass — low music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a ring
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. race — a contest

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