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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. race — a contest
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — of water
  10. wound — an injury
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — electric
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — music
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — humankind
  24. wave — with your hand

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