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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 116 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: stem · wound · calf · stock · mouse · bore · race · kick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — humankind
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  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