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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. march — the month

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