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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — to play on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. swing — music
  15. race — humankind
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. swing — in golf

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