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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — the amount
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — happy
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell

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