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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. race — the arms race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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