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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · ruler · fan · dip · rest · tear

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — to rip
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tear — from crying

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