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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — low music
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — humankind
  11. band — a music group
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. race — a contest
  16. band — a ring
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — on your feet

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