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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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