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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. last — final
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. track — a path
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — to get on

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