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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 · temple · staff · deal · net · race · wound · fan

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. face — to confront
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. race — the arms race
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. net — in sport

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