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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · ruler · race · cabinet · leaves · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — the tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring

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