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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: race · fan · mug · lie · game · mate · suit · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a partner
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. face — to confront
  10. suit — to fit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. race — humankind
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — part of the head

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