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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — humankind
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — the arms race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — army training
  21. branch — a division
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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