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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — humankind
  3. bound — certain
  4. capital — money
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — happening now
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. face — to point toward
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fall — 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