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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. game — a match
  6. race — the arms race
  7. firm — a company
  8. lean — to bend
  9. firm — steady
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — decided

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