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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: hide · race · mouse · wave · cap · cabinet · ground · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — humankind
  23. ground — the earth
  24. race — a contest

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