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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: track · fall · craft · chair · race · bay · leaves · saw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — a song
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. craft — boats
  22. chair — a leader
  23. race — humankind
  24. track — to keep track

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