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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — a contest
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — there
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — ministers

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