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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: wave · cell · lean · scale · stem · race · mouse · land

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. land — a country
  9. cell — in biology
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — to come down
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — ground
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — a phone
  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