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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rule — government
  4. court — for sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — rain
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. track — a path

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