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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — part of the head
  5. race — a contest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — to confront
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. squash — to crush

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