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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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