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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — humankind
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — a break
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spring — a coil

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