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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: lie · fine · rash · leaves · swing · race · mate · cap

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — of ice
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mate — a partner
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. race — a contest
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cap — a lid
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. swing — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — to play on

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