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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. race — humankind
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — a contest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. season — in sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kick — with a leg

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