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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — a hole
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. net — in sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — an aim
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — of a plant

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