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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: cap · leaves · race · chest · wind · rock

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chest — a box
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — music
  13. race — humankind
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — a contest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat

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