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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. present — there
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. race — humankind
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. present — a gift

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