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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. present — there
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a document
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. present — the time now
  21. file — a tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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