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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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