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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — there
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. club — for golf
  11. hand — help
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. club — a group
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — the time now

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