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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — the season
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — a contest
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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