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

Word bank: swing · race · cap · ruler · face · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — to play on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — humankind
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward

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