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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. snap — to click
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. toast — bread
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stem — to come from
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. present — there
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cold — not warm

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