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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: jam · toast · race · staff · squash · last · rash · face

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. toast — bread
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — to point toward
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — a stick
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. last — final
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — to crush
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. staff — employees

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