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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fine — high quality
  10. race — a contest
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — for betting
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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