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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stem — to come from
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — humankind
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — for catching
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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