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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: snap · last · race · stand · bay · face · lean · stick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — to go on
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. last — final
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to confront
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — to bear

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