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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — humankind
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. season — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. mate — a friend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — the arms race

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