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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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