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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to click
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — thin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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