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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — for measuring

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