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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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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: cap · root · wind · patient · stem · arm · fine · race

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — a contest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — of a plant
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. race — humankind
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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