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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stem — to come from
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — the most important part

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