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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — there
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — the time now
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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