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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bound — certain
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — a contest
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — to fit
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — obliged
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — in sport
  16. race — humankind
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — final
  24. season — of the year

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