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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. net — after costs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cold — an illness
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — a position

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