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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — government
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rule — to rule out

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