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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — the time now
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — there
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bat — for baseball

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