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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — a phone
  3. race — a contest
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. race — humankind
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — for catching
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. net — in sport

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