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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. face — to confront
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — a grade
  12. face — part of the head
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stem — of a plant

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