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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spring — of water
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — the season
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — the earth

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