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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chest — a box
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stem — of a plant

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