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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — a stem cell

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