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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: rash · stem · wake · lie · pitch · root · bound · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — a series
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — humankind
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bound — obliged
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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