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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · mate · race · ruler · track · stand

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. face — to confront
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — for measuring

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