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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. last — to go on
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — clothes
  18. can — to be able to
  19. last — final
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — finally
  24. race — the arms race

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