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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — a hint
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — humankind
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — a path

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