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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — in control
  6. craft — a skill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — a price
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — boats
  16. face — to confront
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. date — on the calendar

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