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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: present · cabinet · lean · fine · race · track · stem · clip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — there
  14. race — humankind
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — thin
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. present — the time now
  24. lean — to rest against

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