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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. race — a contest
  3. current — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — electric
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — happening now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — music
  13. race — humankind
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. firm — a company
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. press — to push
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — steady

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