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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. march — music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — tied together
  12. roll — a cake
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — certain
  18. roll — a list
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — a stem cell

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