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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a lid
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cap — of ice
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — of water
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — a break
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — electric
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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