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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: lean · rule · can · mark · game · bore · stem · wound

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rule — a law
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — a match
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — government
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — thin

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