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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — to recline
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stem — to come from
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. arm — part of the body

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