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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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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: leaves · hide · court · lie · squash · stand · race · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of a king
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — final
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. court — for sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of law
  24. last — finally

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