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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. race — humankind
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — final
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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