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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — humankind
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fall — the season
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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