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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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