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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — tied together
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — goods
  6. bound — certain
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — a safe
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — boats
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — shares
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. band — a music group
  24. craft — a skill

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