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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. face — to confront
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — to come from
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — to rip
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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