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

Word bank: deal · bear · current · fall · stem · race

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — the season
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. race — the arms race
  9. current — of water
  10. race — a contest
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — to come from

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