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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — a contest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — to crush

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