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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 · rock · kick · row · snap · present · ruler · racket

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. present — there
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — to come from
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — in football
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. row — to paddle

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