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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — finally
  8. bass — low music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — final
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. last — to go on
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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