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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bore — to drill
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — a position
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — not warm
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to bend

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