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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 · patient · stem · face · mine · suit · pop · lash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — humankind
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — for digging
  9. face — to confront
  10. pop — soda
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — clothes
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pop — music

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