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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fine — all right
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. scale — in music
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stem — to come from
  24. deal — a big deal

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