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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cell — a phone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — in biology
  12. branch — a division
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — a measure
  20. race — humankind
  21. stand — to bear
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stand — for spectators
  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