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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. last — final
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. capital — money
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — to go on
  13. capital — a city
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. last — finally
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — a big letter

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