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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: land · mouse · face · bulb · stem · ruler · can · fine

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. face — part of the head
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — all right
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — a country
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. can — a tin

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