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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. land — a country
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. race — a contest
  18. march — the month
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — humankind
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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