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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · cap · face · ruler · hide · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. face — to confront
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret

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