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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. charge — a price
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — in football
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — humankind
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — a trail

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