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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. race — a contest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. season — of the year

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