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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kid — child
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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