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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · file · jam · tube · march · dip · roll · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. file — a tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — the month
  9. roll — a list
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. tube — a container
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. face — to confront
  20. race — the arms race
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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