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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: charge · mark · face · race · march · perch · object · bound

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — a price
  16. mark — a trace
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — in control
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. object — to protest

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