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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: track · pit · suit · last · wake · mine · race · wind

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — a contest
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — a song
  8. race — humankind
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — for digging
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. track — a path
  18. last — to go on
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — final
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — finally
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — an explosive

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