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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — humankind
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — shares
  10. current — happening now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. current — electric
  18. stock — goods
  19. spell — letters
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. current — of water

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