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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. cell — in biology
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — government
  24. cell — a phone

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