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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — for dancing
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. club — for golf
  9. present — there
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — a contest
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. club — a group

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