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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wound — an injury
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — a contest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cap — a hat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — a price
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — a lid
  24. game — wild animals

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