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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — a phone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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