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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — of water
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cap — a lid
  18. key — for a lock
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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