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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. march — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — a gift
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — a series
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — a straw man

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