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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spring — a coil
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for golf
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — a line
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — of a plant

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