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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — final
  16. spell — magic
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. race — the arms race
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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