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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 116 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 · stem · bay · pop · ball · firm · rest · lash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — decided
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — a break
  19. race — humankind
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — a company

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