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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — to confront
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — humankind
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. race — a contest
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stock — goods
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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