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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stem — to come from
  3. charge — in control
  4. race — humankind
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. race — a contest
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. vault — a safe
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. charge — electricity
  24. perch — for a bird

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