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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to confront
  15. kick — in football
  16. game — a match
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play

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