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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. current — electric
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spring — the season
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — of water
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spring — of water
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. kick — in football

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