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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — decided
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. firm — a company
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wave — of the sea

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