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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hand — help
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — in cards

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