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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — in music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — to come from
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — to go on
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to rest against

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