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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stem — to come from
  6. firm — a company
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — in football
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. race — a contest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. bat — for baseball

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