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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rule — government
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — humankind
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — a law
  24. race — a contest

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