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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: race · pass · stem · cell · lean · bore · row · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cell — a phone
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — a contest
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lean — thin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lean — to bend

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