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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fall — to drop

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