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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — dry grass

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