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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. race — humankind
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. degree — temperature
  7. firm — decided
  8. stand — to bear
  9. firm — a company
  10. stem — to come from
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — steady
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — belonging to me

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