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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: pass · spell · pitcher · mate · race · wind · cap · chest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — humankind
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — magic
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. race — a contest

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