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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — for sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lie — an untruth

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