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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. swing — in golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. swing — music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. race — humankind
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — a contest
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mouse — the animal

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