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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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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 · season · mark · suit · last · fan · kick · firm

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. 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. mark — a trace
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — steady
  5. last — final
  6. race — a contest
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — decided
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — a grade
  24. 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