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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — a contest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — the arms race
  12. swing — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — humankind

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