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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — a thing
  12. root — of a word
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spring — the season
  20. root — the cause
  21. rock — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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