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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stem — to come from
  15. scale — size or range
  16. court — of a king
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. temple — a place of worship

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