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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: craft · pass · tear · cell · stem · wake · ruler · rush

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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