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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — a contest
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — humankind
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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