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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — an aim
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. file — a document
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — to come from

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