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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — a contest
  3. wound — an injury
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — a position
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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