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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — certain
  10. bat — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. sharp — clever

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