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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 120 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: pound · arm · cue · leaves · mark · race · stem · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pound — a weight
  22. race — humankind
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — 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