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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. field — a subject
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — farmland
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — bread

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