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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — to push
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — tied together
  14. race — a contest
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. press — newspapers
  17. file — a document
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. press — a publisher

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