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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — of a tree

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