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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. capital — a city
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. capital — money
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stem — to come from

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