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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — for sport
  8. race — a contest
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — farmland
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — to come from
  19. field — a subject
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — humankind
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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