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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: bay · pit · face · wound · mouse · bound · swing · race

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — a hole
  9. face — to confront
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — obliged
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — in golf

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