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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stem — of a plant

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