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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · race · bear · object · hand · ground · pit · leaves

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ground — a position
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a hole
  12. race — humankind
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — the earth
  19. race — a contest
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. object — to protest
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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