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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: net · hand · rest · stem · mug · key · race · fan

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — a face
  22. net — after costs
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — part of the body

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