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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wake — a trail
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — all right
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — humankind
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lean — to bend

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