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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — humankind
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — part of the head

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