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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — a contest
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — the arms race
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. deal — to handle

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