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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — moving air
  17. race — humankind
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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