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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — a contest
  11. rash — a series
  12. race — humankind
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — a stem cell

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