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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 116 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: present · kid · race · lie · can · face · cue · staff

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — humankind
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to point toward

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