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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: key · bear · stem · race · roll · suit · lash · clip

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. clip — a video
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. roll — a list
  23. key — for a lock
  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