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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ground — a position
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — in cards
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. race — humankind
  24. suit — clothes

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