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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. last — final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — to go on
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. race — humankind
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — high quality

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