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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — to confront
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — letters
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — an injury
  18. land — ground
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — part of the head

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