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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — clothes
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — the cause
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. race — a contest
  16. suit — in cards
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a word
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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