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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.

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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: mark · stick · ruler · stem · bulb · lie · bat · cell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lie — to recline

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