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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — the time now
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. race — a contest
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — there
  23. row — to paddle
  24. deal — a big deal

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