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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — a container
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — from a university

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