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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. march — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to point toward

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