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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — child
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — thin

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