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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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