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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. race — a contest
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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