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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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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 · scale · present · calf · dip · board · cell · race

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cell — in biology
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — there
  10. face — to point toward
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. race — a contest
  24. cell — a phone

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