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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. race — a contest
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. race — humankind
  12. wake — a trail
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — to be able to
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — the arms race
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — a coil

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