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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · rest · charge · race · stem · ground

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — humankind
  9. rest — a break
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — in control
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — of a plant

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