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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — to come from
  4. race — a contest
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — to eat
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — for betting

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