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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — certain
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  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