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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: race · cabinet · sharp · mug · face · bay · charge · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. face — to confront
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. face — to point toward
  12. race — a contest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. race — humankind
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — in control

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