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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — a gift
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. race — humankind
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — the time now
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — a trail
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — there
  22. rest — a break
  23. row — a line
  24. track — a song

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