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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. deal — to handle
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — a contest
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. present — there
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — a gift
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — humankind
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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