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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — the season
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — child
  16. object — to protest
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. race — humankind
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — bread
  21. kid — to tease
  22. foot — a measure
  23. race — a contest
  24. object — an aim

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