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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — to confront
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stand — for spectators

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