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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — humankind
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — a container
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pass — a permit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bore — to drill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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