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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — hasty
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of a king

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