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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — a contest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — a line
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — to paddle
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — a lid
  24. row — a quarrel

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