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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: race · mug · band · object · tube · cap · spell · shower

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cap — a lid
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. shower — rain
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — to wash
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. object — an aim
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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