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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — a thing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — to protest
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — in a road
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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