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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rule — a law
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — government
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wind — moving air

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