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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: foot · rock · face · bass · race · bay · hide · march

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — low music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. race — the arms race
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — a measure
  17. march — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — humankind

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