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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 120 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: firm · fall · race · row · kick · season · trunk · leaves

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. fall — the season
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — humankind
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — steady
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — of the year
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kick — in football
  24. fall — to drop

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