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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ground — a position
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spring — of water

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