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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ground — a position
  3. race — humankind
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. race — the arms race
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — the earth
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — for sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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