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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. present — a gift
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. present — there
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — the time now
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rule — a law

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