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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — ground
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. race — humankind

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