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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — the season
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. shower — to wash
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — rain

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