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

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. race — humankind
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — the arms race
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. date — the fruit
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — a football final

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