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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: bay · mug · face · fork · arm · object · race · mate

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — humankind
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — a thing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — an aim
  24. fork — in a road

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