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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a document
  18. squash — to crush
  19. file — a tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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