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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. net — for catching
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. race — the arms race

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