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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: racket · dip · rash · pound · staff · face · saw · race

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rash — hasty
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pound — a weight
  17. race — the arms race
  18. face — to point toward
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. race — a contest
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pound — for dogs

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