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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: shower · board · saw · race · rock · pass · ball · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — humankind
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. face — part of the head
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a great time
  23. shower — rain
  24. race — a contest

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