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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 120 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 · cabinet · track · present · race · object · face · wake

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. present — a gift
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — a song
  7. object — a thing
  8. track — a path
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — to confront
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — there
  18. face — to point toward
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — the time now
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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