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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. track — a path
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — humankind
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. present — there

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