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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. race — a contest
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — a tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cold — an illness
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cold — not warm
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — finally
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — final
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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