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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. race — a contest
  4. last — finally
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. last — to go on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — the season
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — of water
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — final
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — to lash out

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