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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. game — a match

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