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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: stem · ruler · stick · perch · face · last · track · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — to come from
  21. track — a path
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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