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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. club — for dancing
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — a contest
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — of the year
  19. rush — hurry
  20. race — humankind
  21. club — a group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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