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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: present · racket · cabinet · race · cap · toast · straw · lie

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. present — the time now
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. present — a gift
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. race — humankind
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. toast — bread
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. present — there
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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