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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — final
  6. fine — all right
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — to tease
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. swing — to play on
  20. race — a contest
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. swing — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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