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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: nail · court · march · tear · wake · stem · ruler · toast

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — the month
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. march — music
  10. court — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of law
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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