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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — a contest
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. race — humankind
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — final
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. last — finally
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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