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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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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — crushed
  6. race — humankind
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. lie — to recline
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cap — of ice
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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