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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: race · bore · face · saw · march · can · pitch · hand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — a contest
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. race — humankind
  24. face — to confront

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