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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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