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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — for betting
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chip — to eat
  9. file — a document
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. file — a line of people
  16. race — a contest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. file — a tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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