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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. 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 — the arms race
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. race — a contest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. 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