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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — a position
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — crushed
  16. club — for golf
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — a stem cell

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