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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — of ice
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ball — a dance
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a great time
  20. race — humankind
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — lets stay

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