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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — humankind
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — the arms race
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. race — a contest
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cap — of ice
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. season — of the year
  24. snap — to click

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