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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — help
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. vault — a safe

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