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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. race — the arms race
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. race — a contest
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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