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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — the tool
  17. march — music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. race — humankind
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. march — the month
  24. race — the arms race

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