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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · race · face · leaves · chair · sharp · mouse · pop

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. face — part of the head
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — a leader

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