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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a document
  14. object — to protest
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. present — a gift
  20. rule — government
  21. object — a thing
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stem — a stem cell

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