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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — humankind
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — a contest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — the fish
  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