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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — a contest
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — a box

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