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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 124 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. race — a contest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wake — a trail

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