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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — in golf
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rash — a series
  24. swing — to play on

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