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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. march — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — in cards
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. hand — part of the body

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