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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — a contest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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