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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. race — a contest
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — to go on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  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