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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — in control
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — in cards
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — a contest

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