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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. race — a contest
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chest — a box
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — to come from
  21. race — humankind
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. straw — dry grass

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