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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — low music
  13. snap — to click
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — to bear
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. land — a country
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. ruler — a monarch

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