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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: face · calf · prune · straw · stem · race · bank · clip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. clip — to cut
  14. race — a contest
  15. clip — a video
  16. stem — to come from
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — to trim
  21. race — humankind
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — for paper

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