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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — steady
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — to protest
  9. race — a contest
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — humankind
  12. snap — to click
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — a thing
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a rubber band

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