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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: race · wake · pitcher · chair · rash · leaves · saw · present

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. race — a contest
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. race — the arms race

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