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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — hasty
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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