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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mark — a trace
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — a grade
  10. race — humankind
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. spell — letters

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