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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. race — a contest
  3. chest — a box
  4. key — in music
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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