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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rest — a break
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. race — a contest
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — wild animals
  24. calf — a young animal

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