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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — a contest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — the arms race
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — rain
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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