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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — a contest
  8. stem — to come from
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. firm — a company
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — humankind
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. shower — to wash
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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