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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — letters
  24. cap — a lid

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