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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 · clip · rush · race · current · bay · lie · face

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. clip — a video
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — a contest
  11. face — part of the head
  12. current — electric
  13. clip — to cut
  14. current — of water
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — happening now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — humankind
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. race — the arms race

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