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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. last — to go on
  3. race — a contest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. race — humankind
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. race — the arms race
  14. last — final
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wake — before a funeral

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