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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — a contest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — a law
  16. race — humankind
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — to rule out

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