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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mug — a face
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cap — of ice
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — a stem cell

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