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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  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