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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. last — final
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — finally
  14. race — humankind
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on

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