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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 116 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: bore · field · squash · ruler · tube · stem · sharp · fall

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — to come from
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. field — farmland
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. field — a subject
  24. stem — of a plant

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