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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 happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — to bend
  17. court — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — a monarch

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