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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. face — part of the head
  6. kid — child
  7. court — of law
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of a king
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kid — to tease
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — help

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