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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — a song
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. race — a contest
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — in biology
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — humankind
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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