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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. game — a match
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. land — a country
  12. drill — a practice
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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