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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: rule · race · suit · kick · cap · snap · lie · date

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. kick — with a leg
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to click
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rule — government
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — to recline
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — in football
  23. cap — a lid
  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