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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — to come from
  4. swing — to play on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. face — to confront
  10. roll — a cake
  11. swing — in golf
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bear — to put up 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