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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stem — to come from
  3. race — humankind
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. race — a contest
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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