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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. cap — a hat
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — certain

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