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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · wake · stem · bear · roll · march

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — the month
  3. roll — a list
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. roll — on a roll

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