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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — a contest
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — humankind
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — a committee

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