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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a music group
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — to add flavour

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