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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — the fish
  11. race — a contest
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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