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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. race — humankind
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — magic
  13. club — for golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — the arms race

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