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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — ground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — magic
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — to shout
  12. land — to come down
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — a country

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