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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. toast — bread
  16. race — the arms race
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — a contest
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — of the year
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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