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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — to confront
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. race — the arms race
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — crushed
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. ground — a position
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. object — an aim
  17. race — humankind
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. object — a thing

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