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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 · stem · bay · coach · rest · bank · spring · stock

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rest — a break
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — humankind
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — the season
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — a contest
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — to come from

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