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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. race — humankind
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. current — happening now
  11. race — a contest
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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