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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stem — to come from

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