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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cap — a hat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — to confront
  23. sharp — clever
  24. race — a contest

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