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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — a trainer

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