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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — the time now
  4. race — the arms race
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spring — a coil
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — of water
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — the season
  14. firm — a company
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. present — there
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. firm — steady
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. coach — a trainer

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