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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: foot · dip · race · arm · face · current · last · rock

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. rock — music
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. foot — a measure
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — of water
  19. race — the arms race
  20. last — finally
  21. current — electric
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. face — part of the head

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