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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. current — electric
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bound — certain
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — humankind
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — clever

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