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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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