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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. field — a subject
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. field — farmland
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hand — help
  12. game — a match
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — in cards
  20. field — for sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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