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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: race · stem · lie · bark · object · bat · chip · spell

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spell — letters
  17. race — a contest
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. object — an aim
  22. bark — to shout
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — a stem cell

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