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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — a contest
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. firm — a company
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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