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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. race — the arms race
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bat — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — help
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — a tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — bread
  18. capital — money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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