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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fall — the season
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. present — there
  16. race — a contest
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. content — the amount
  23. present — a gift
  24. wake — before a funeral

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