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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. race — a contest
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — humankind
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — a hat

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