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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: wind · lean · cap · race · face · bowl · spell · roll

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. race — humankind
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — a list
  11. spell — a short time
  12. face — to confront
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cap — a hat
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — magic
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lean — thin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a cake

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