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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — certain
  5. race — humankind
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. race — a contest
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rest — what's left

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