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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: hide · bay · race · fan · drill · craft · pound · face

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — a contest
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — to keep secret

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