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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — in a race
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — ground
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a hole

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