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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. face — to confront
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a dance
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. march — music

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