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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 120 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: rock · bore · root · fall · band · straw · stem · race

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rock — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. race — humankind
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fall — the season
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bore — to tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — to move gently

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