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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — high quality
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — a contest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stem — to come from

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