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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — a contest
  20. chair — a leader
  21. net — in sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. race — humankind
  24. spring — of water

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