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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — a permit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. drill — the tool

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