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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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