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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — soda
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pop — music
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — obliged

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