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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: bay · last · stem · net · ruler · bulb · object · tear

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — finally
  10. object — to protest
  11. net — for catching
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — in sport

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