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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — to come from
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — a video
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — government
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — a law

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