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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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 — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hand — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — humankind
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — help
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  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