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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · cue · stem · can · game · track · wind · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cue — for pool
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a match

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