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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: saw · ground · race · craft · shower · face · current · rash

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — a series
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ground — the earth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. current — of water
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — happening now
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — hasty
  18. race — a contest
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — part of the head
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — crushed
  23. craft — boats
  24. saw — the tool

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