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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 116 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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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: mouse · race · leaves · present · trunk · spring · cabinet · tear

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spring — of water
  12. present — a gift
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — the time now
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — to go away

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