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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a music group
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — electric
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to sink
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — of water
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — happening now
  16. row — a line
  17. race — a contest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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