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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. race — humankind
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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