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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. race — humankind
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — to come from
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — help

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