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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. last — to go on
  6. ground — a position
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — humankind
  15. last — final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. race — a contest
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. ground — the earth
  24. last — finally

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