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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: mug · race · roll · clip · nail · face · coach · net

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — to confront
  4. mug — a cup
  5. roll — a list
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. race — humankind
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — a video
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mug — a face
  16. clip — to cut
  17. net — after costs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. net — for catching

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