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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · jam · race · wake · tear · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a leader
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tear — from crying
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — to rob
  18. race — humankind

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