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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: pass · face · shower · row · cap · mark · nail · race

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — part of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — a permit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. shower — to wash
  11. row — to paddle
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — of ice
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mark — a trace
  24. face — to confront

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