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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — bread
  3. race — a contest
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — the cause
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — humankind
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cap — of ice
  22. root — of a word
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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