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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — the arms race
  3. field — farmland
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. field — for sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — a subject
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. race — a contest
  24. bore — to drill

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