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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. race — a contest
  8. cell — in biology
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — humankind
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — the arms race

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