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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. land — a country

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