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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — a container
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — to point toward
  14. object — a thing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. race — a contest
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. race — the arms race
  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