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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — to shout
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — the arms race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — to trim

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