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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — a contest
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. race — the arms race
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stem — a stem cell

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