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

Word bank: board · wound · rest · mate · race · face · vault · rash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — humankind
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — a contest
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — to confront
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — what's left

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