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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — a position
  3. race — the arms race
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. race — humankind
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — crushed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. race — a contest
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — to breed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mate — a friend

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