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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. capital — money
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. capital — a city

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