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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — humankind
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. land — ground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — a hat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — a lid
  21. race — a contest
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mark — to pay attention

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