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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. land — to come down
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bound — certain
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — ground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rest — what's left

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