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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — humankind
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bowl — a football final

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