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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. deal — to handle
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — hurry

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