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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — humankind
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. face — part of the head
  6. band — a ring
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. key — for a lock
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — the arms race
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — thin

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