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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — a signal
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — in football
  14. face — to confront
  15. band — a music group
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — to point toward

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