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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fan — a supporter

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