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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stem — to come from
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — government
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. land — ground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — a country
  15. march — music
  16. land — to come down
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a hole
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — a law
  22. race — humankind
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — of the leg

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