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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: race · stem · lean · last · arm · swing · object · kick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. swing — to play on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lean — to bend
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. last — finally
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — music
  13. last — final
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. race — humankind
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. object — an aim
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — in football
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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