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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — all right
  11. race — humankind
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — a series
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to click
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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