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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: race · branch · present · safe · fall · lean · season · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — humankind
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — a division
  18. present — a gift
  19. fall — the season
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. race — the arms race
  24. safe — out of danger

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