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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. race — humankind
  6. last — finally
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — completely
  12. face — part of the head
  13. last — to go on
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wave — of the sea

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