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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — clever
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a path
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — a break
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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