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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — humankind
  20. net — in sport
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — a contest

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