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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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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: rule · stem · cold · bat · charge · perch · hide · ruler

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cold — not warm
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. rule — a law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — the animal

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