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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — to be able to
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — the earth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. race — humankind
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — hasty
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wake — before a funeral

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