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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. race — humankind
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — a match
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — a contest
  22. last — final
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stem — to come from

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