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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 116 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: ruler · rock · stick · spring · wave · stem · tube · chair

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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