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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. race — a contest
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — a face
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — humankind
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pass — a permit
  21. row — a line
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — in cards

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