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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — shares
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a ring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — what's left
  23. root — the cause
  24. stock — goods

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