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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — humankind
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — a trail

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