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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — a measure
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — of the year
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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