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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. toast — bread
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. race — the arms race
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — a permit
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — a contest
  21. court — for sport
  22. last — finally
  23. race — humankind
  24. last — final

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