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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — to bend
  7. capital — money
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. capital — a city
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — thin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. toast — bread

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