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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: saw · bound · stem · lash · race · face · racket · prune

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. race — humankind
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. race — a contest
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — a loud noise

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