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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — child
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — to tease
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. race — humankind
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — a contest
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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