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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spell — letters
  9. race — a contest
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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