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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: leaves · race · bowl · rest · mark · jam · stick · nail

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — a contest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — in traffic

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