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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hand — help
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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