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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a great time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a dance
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — to sink
  24. march — music

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