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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fork — in a road
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fork — to eat with

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