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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kid — to tease
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. race — humankind
  12. kid — child
  13. suit — to fit
  14. last — final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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