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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — there
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — a gift
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — a contest
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — a break

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