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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. land — ground
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — a stem cell

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