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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — to come from
  4. march — the month
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. march — the month

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