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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spell — letters
  4. field — farmland
  5. face — to point toward
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — a series
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. field — for sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — employees
  24. field — a subject

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