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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 · race · mouse · mark · craft · leaves · chair · march

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — the month
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chair — a leader
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. march — music
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — a contest
  15. mark — a trace
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — boats
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fall — the season
  24. mark — a grade

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