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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: sharp · leaves · bowl · key · mine · trunk · race · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — humankind
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. race — a contest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — an explosive

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