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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. firm — a company
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — to go on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mate — to breed
  21. last — final
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a friend

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