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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: bound · drill · stem · stand · last · rock · race · firm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. last — to go on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — finally
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — to bear
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rock — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — a contest
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — a practice
  17. firm — decided
  18. last — final
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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