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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: row · cap · race · current · kick · dip · spell · mate

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cap — a hat
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — electric
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — of water
  20. race — a contest
  21. spell — letters
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — to breed

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