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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. race — a contest
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — humankind
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — a company
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. firm — decided
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. firm — steady
  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