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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. field — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — a contest
  21. band — a ring
  22. field — farmland
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a music group

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