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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — to come from
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — the arms race
  17. drill — army training
  18. spell — magic
  19. wound — an injury
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. race — humankind

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