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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — a friend
  21. suit — in cards
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stem — of a plant

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