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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — the arms race
  6. root — of a plant
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — humankind
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — thin
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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