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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kid — child
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lean — to bend

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