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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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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 · nail · current · march · ball · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a great time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. march — the month
  5. face — part of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — a contest
  13. current — of water
  14. march — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. ball — a dance
  17. current — happening now
  18. ball — a round shape

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