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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. land — ground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — to come down
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. land — a country
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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