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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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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — to rip
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to point toward
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — certain
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. bound — tied together

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