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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — humankind
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — hurry

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