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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — in music
  3. current — happening now
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. current — electric
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — for a lock

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