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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — in football
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — humankind
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — of ice
  24. swing — to play on

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