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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: face · firm · hide · chip · racket · march · race · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. firm — a company
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. race — a contest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. march — music

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