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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — in music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cell — in biology
  14. key — for a lock
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kick — in football
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — of a word
  24. cold — the Cold War

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