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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — steady
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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