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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tube — a container
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — the fish

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