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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 120 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: cold · suit · race · lean · pass · cap · plane · wind

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wind — moving air
  10. race — a contest
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — a lid
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lean — to bend

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