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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — electric
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. land — ground
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — final
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. land — a country
  13. last — finally
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — happening now
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — to go on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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