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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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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 · bear · chest · bay · can · cabinet · track · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — a song
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chest — a box
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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