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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. key — the most important part
  8. race — a contest
  9. key — in music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chest — a box

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