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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — humankind
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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