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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stem — to come from
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pop — soda
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — a thing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rash — hasty

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