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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: race · cell · cap · rush · band · hide · rule · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — a law
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — a contest
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a music group
  19. race — humankind
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. band — a ring

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