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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: wind · bore · stem · race · ground · temple · lean · firm

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. firm — a company
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — decided
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ground — a position
  14. race — humankind
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — to come from
  24. firm — steady

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