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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. file — a document
  6. board — to get on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. race — humankind
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — a tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wake — a trail
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a committee

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