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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. face — to confront
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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