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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to point toward
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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