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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to click
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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