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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: spring · jam · row · face · race · stick · pass · ruler

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. row — a line
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — the arms race
  5. face — part of the head
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spring — of water
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — a contest
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to confront

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