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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — a series
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — the underground
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — to come from
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — a box
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rash — hasty

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