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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — for sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ruler — for measuring

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