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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. last — final
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — a contest
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — humankind
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — in music
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — clothes
  23. key — for a lock
  24. temple — side of the head

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