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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. race — a contest
  3. march — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. race — humankind
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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