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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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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 · current · face · wind · bowl · race

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — of ice
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — to confront
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — a dish

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