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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. leaves — to go away

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