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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — to trim
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — a price
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — a tin

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