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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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Word bank
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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: charge · face · race · hide · stem · sharp · firm · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — steady
  8. face — to confront
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — to come from
  14. face — to point toward
  15. firm — a company
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — a price
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — decided

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