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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — a coil
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  24. kick — a thrill

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