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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: wake · stem · ruler · tear · sharp · mouse · suit · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. land — to come down
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — a country

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