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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. game — a match
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — a contest
  24. bowl — a football final

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