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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 124 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — a contest
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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