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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: deal · present · wind · stem · coach · race · bound · mine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — certain
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. race — humankind
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — obliged

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