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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. squash — to crush
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. race — humankind

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