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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spell — letters
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — the arms race
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hide — to keep secret

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