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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: rash · mark · present · face · object · bound · cap · race

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. race — humankind
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a trace
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. rash — hasty
  14. face — part of the head
  15. race — a contest
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — a series
  21. bound — certain
  22. face — to confront
  23. present — a gift
  24. object — an aim

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