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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 · firm · charge · nail · present · face · arm · mate

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a friend
  4. firm — steady
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — electricity
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — a company
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — humankind
  24. present — there

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