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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — to confront
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — to push
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — part of the head

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