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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — a contest
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — humankind
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — thin

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