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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — steady
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. firm — decided
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chest — a box
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — humankind
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chest — of your body
  20. race — a contest
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — certain

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