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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — a contest
  6. drill — army training
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — thin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — the arms race
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. leaves — of a tree

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