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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — the arms race
  6. last — final
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. last — finally
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pit — a hole
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. object — an aim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — a thing

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