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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. race — the arms race
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — thin
  24. land — ground

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