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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. shower — rain
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — humankind
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. race — a contest
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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