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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — humankind
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — the time now
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. present — a gift
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — a contest
  24. lie — to recline

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