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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. current — electric
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — a series
  24. chest — a box

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