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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — certain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — a country
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. land — to come down
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — to come from

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