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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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Word bank
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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: current · race · ball · hide · squash · stem · bound · fall

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — humankind
  14. fall — the season
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a dance

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