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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — a series
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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