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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mate — to breed
  18. race — the arms race
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. stem — a stem cell

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