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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bass — low music
  2. race — a contest
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — to get on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. race — humankind
  23. present — a gift
  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