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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cap — a lid
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — a contest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — humankind
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a friend
  24. march — music

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