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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — a break
  9. pound — a weight
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stem — to come from
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — of a tree

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