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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a match
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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