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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. race — humankind
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — a contest
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — a lid

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