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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: rash · capital · rest · cell · race · dip · fan · toast

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — a city
  6. dip — to sink
  7. toast — bread
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — humankind
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. race — a contest
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — a break

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