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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — to wash
  9. object — an aim
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — a trail
  21. object — to protest
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — a contest

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