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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: arm · cell · root · stem · nail · bulb · track · race

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — of a word
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — a contest
  20. cell — a phone
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. race — the arms race
  24. 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