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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tear — from crying

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