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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.

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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: wound · firm · bay · wave · race · rock · leaves · last

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — steady
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. race — humankind
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. firm — decided

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