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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bound — tied together
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — to bend
  24. race — humankind

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