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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: stem · drill · race · bear · leaves · cell · lean · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — a phone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stem — to come from
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. swing — music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cell — in a prison

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