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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stock — shares
  6. object — a thing
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — to wash
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — goods
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — humankind
  14. toast — bread
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mine — for digging
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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