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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — a contest
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. suit — clothes
  15. dip — to sink
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stem — of a plant

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