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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — a city
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spring — of water
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lie — to recline
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — size or range
  24. capital — a big letter

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