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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: race · fan · saw · firm · hand · board · jam · face

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. race — humankind
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hand — help
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — decided

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