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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. content — happy
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. race — humankind
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — a hat
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cell — a phone

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