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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. face — to confront
  7. present — there
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spring — of water
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — in biology

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