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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lean — thin
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — the arms race
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — a contest
  24. leaves — of a tree

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