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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. last — to go on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — part of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. degree — an amount
  17. last — final
  18. face — to confront
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — a leader

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