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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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Word bank
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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: ball · leaves · ruler · fall · cold · chest · stem · object

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chest — a box
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — an aim
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — the season
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — a thing
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. object — to protest

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