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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cue — a signal
  15. face — to confront
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — not warm
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — the time now
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — for pool

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