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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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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — the fish
  3. last — to go on
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. charge — electricity
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — a container
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. race — a contest
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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