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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — in a race
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — in sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. race — humankind
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to sink

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